World Neurosurg
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A variety of applications related to neurosurgical procedures, education, and training require accurate reconstruction of the involved structures from the medical images such as computed tomography (CT). This study evaluates the quality of CT-based reconstruction of dry skull bones for advanced neurosurgical applications. The accuracy and precision of these models were examined with reference optical scanning. ⋯ The study reveals that bone structure, complexity, and segmentation threshold lead to CT reconstruction variability. The trade-off between the desirable model and accepted mean deviation should be considered as per traits of the desired application.
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Case Reports
Rapid onset of relapsing longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis following lumbar spinal surgery.
A 58-year-old woman experienced relapsing acute longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis that developed rapidly in 3 days after lumbar surgery. The patient had a history of systemic lupus erythematosus with acute transverse myelitis and had undergone plasmapheresis 16 years ago. New neurologic deficits including paraplegia of the lower limbs, sensory alterations, and bowel incontinence presented 3 days postoperatively. ⋯ Plasmapheresis after pulse therapy resulted in improved neurologic deficit. The patient then underwent 6 months of rehabilitation therapy but was partially wheelchair bound. She no longer had bladder and bowel incontinence.
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A Stereotaxic Atlas of the Human Lumbar-Sacral Spinal Cord has been created to provide an anatomical basis for radiologic and ultrasonic imaging and electrophysiological examination, which are used to target the placement of lumbar-sacral epidural stimulating electrodes and cellular transplantation in order to restore movement in individuals with sustained spinal cord injury or a degenerative disorder of the spinal cord. Through the availability of an atlas that exhibits axial images of the cytoarchitecture of each cord segment with a stereotaxic millimeter grid of dorsal-ventral depth from the midline dorsal surface of the cord and right-left distances from the midline of the cord, neuromodulation, and cellular therapy would undoubtedly be made not only more precise but also safer for patients. ⋯ The atlas provides an anatomical basis for radiologic and physiologic confirmation of target localization in the lumbar-sacral spinal cord.
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Prelemniscal radiation (Raprl) lesions and deep brain stimulation effectively control motor symptoms of Parkinson disease, but individual variations in the stereotactic location of its fiber components constitute a significant concern. The objective of this study was to determine individual variations in the stereotactic location of fiber tracts composing Raprl. ⋯ Individual PMP variations for fiber tracts in Raprl, identified by probabilistic tractography, provide a platform for planning the stereotactic approach to conform volumes for deep brain stimulation and lesions.